Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-10
ALLAN QUARTERNAIN.
A BROWNING CITY

Full upon the closed petals it fell, and ran
shimmering down their golden sides; and
then the glorious flower opened as though
beneath the bright influence Slowly it
opened; and as the great petals fell wide
and revealed the golden altar on which
the fire ever burnt, the priests blew a blast
upon the trumpets, and from all the peo-
pie there rose q shout of praise that beat
against the domed roof and came echoing
down the marble walls. And now the
flower altar was open, and the sunlight
fell full upon the tongue of sacred fame
and beat it down, SO that it wavered, sank,
and vanished into the hollow recesses
whence it rose. AS it vanished, the mel
low notes Of the trumpets rolled out once
more. Again the old priest flung up his
hands and called aloud:
We sacrifice to thee, oh SUM-
Once more [ caught Nyleptha's eye, it
was fixed upon the brazen flooring.
'Look out!'' l said, aloud; and, as I said
it, saw Agon bend forward and touch
something on the altar AS he did so, the
great white sea of faces around us turned
red and then white again, and q deep
breath went up like universal sigh. Ny
leptha leant forward, and with an invol-
untary movement covered her eyes with
her hand. Sorais turned and whispered
to the officer of the royal body-guard and
then, with a rending sound, the whole of
the brazen flooring slid from beneath our
feet and there in it's place was suddenly
revealed q smooth marble shaft termina-
ting in most awful raging furnace be-
meath the altar, big enough and hot enough
to heat the iron stern-post of man of war.
With yell of terror we sprung back
ward, all except the wretched Alphonse,
who was paralyZed with fear and would
have fallen into the fiery furnace which
had been prepared for us, had not Sir
Henry caught him in his strong hands as
he was vanishing, and dragged him back.
Instantly there arose the most fearful
hubbub; and we four got back to back, Al
phonse lodging frantically round our little
circle in an attempt to take shelter under
our legs. We all had our revolvers on-for
though we had been politely disarmed of
our guns on leaving the palace, of course
these people did not know what a revolver
was. Umslopogaas, too, had his ak, of
which no effort had been made to deprive
him, and now he whirled it round his head
and sent his piercing Zulu war-shout echo
ing up the marble walls in fine defiant
fashion. Next second, the priests, baff1ed
of their prey, had drawn swords from be-
meath their white robes and were leaping
on us like hounds upon a stag at bay. |
saw that, dangerous as action might be,
we must act or be lost; so as the first man
came bounding along-and great tall fell
low he was-I sent a heavy revolver ball
through him, and down he fell at the
mouth of the shaft, and slid, shrieking
frantically, into the fiery gulf that had
been prepared for us.
Whether it was his yells, or the, to them,
awful sound and effect of the pistolshot,
oryvhat know not,lbut the other priests
halted, paralyzed anH dismayed, and be-
fore they could come on again Sorais had
called out something, and we, together
with the two queens and most of the cour-
tiers, were being surrounded with a wall
OF armed men. In moment it was done,
and still the priests hesitated, and the peo-
pie hung in the balance like a herd of
startled buck as it were, making no sign
one way or the other.
The last yell of the burning priest had
died away, the fire had finished him, and a
great silence fell upon the place.
Then the High Priest Agon turned, and
his face was as the face of devil "Let
the sacrifice be sacrificed, he said to the
queens. HAS not sacrilege enough been
done by these strangers, and would We, as
queens, throw the cloak of your majesty
over evil doors? Are not the creatures
sacred to the Sun dead? and is not priest
of the Sun also dead, but now slain by the
magic of these strangers, who come as the
winds out Of heaven, whence we know not.
and who are what we know not? Beware.
Oh queens, how We tamper with the great
majesty OF the god, even before his high
altar. There is a power that is more than
your power; there is q justice that is more
than your justice. Beware how We lift an
impiouS hand against it. Let the sacrifice
be sacrificed, oh queensr'
Then SaraIs made answer in her deep,
quiet tones, that always seemed to me to
have suspicion OF moc&ery about them,
however serious the theme: ooh, Agon,
thou hast spoken according to thy desire,
and thou hast Spoke2 truth. But it is thou
who woui $50 lift an inpiou5 hand against
the justice OF thy god. Bethink thee, the
midday sacrifice Is accomplished; the Sun
hath claimed his priest as sacrifice"
This was novel idea and the people APP
plauded it.
''Bethlnk thee what are these men?
They are strangers found floating on the
bosom of lake. Who set them herer
How came they there? How know We that
they also are not servants of the Sun? Is
this the hospitality that We would have our
nation show to those whom chance brings
to them, to throw them to the f1ames2
Shame on We! shame on We! What is hos
plta1ty? To receive the stranger and
show him favor. To bind up his wounds,
and find a pillow for his head, and food for
him to eat. But thy pillow is the fiery
furnace, and thy food the hot SAVIOR of the
flame. Shame on thee, I sayi'
She paused little to watch the effect of
her speech upon the multitude; and seeing
that it was favorable, changed her tone
from one of remonstrance to one of COM
mand.
''Hol place there" she cried, ''place, I
say; make way for the queens, and those
whom the queens cover with their ''kaf'
(mantle)"
'And if refuse, oh queen?" said Agon
his teeth.
linen will cut a path with my guards"
WAS the DrOu6 ancu-or. auan in